Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi, I am an indie author from Edmonton Alberta Canada. I’ve written several books under my real name but have one book as of Feb15th 2021 published so far. Rural. my first book in a three-part Y.A. series called the moving lives.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Rural
It’s a story about the themes and setting of rural Newbrunswick where I grew up and focuses on a boy named Chris Weeks. He moves to the country from Toronto and has to come to terms with what friendship, family, and falling in love look like when nothing around you is the same anymore.
It was inspired but not based on my time spent in Newbrunswick as a teen.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am an early bird. I get up at 5:00 am every day and write for the first few hours of the morning while my family still sleeps, then I make them breakfast and coffee after getting my word count in.
I also keep a fairly detailed commonplace book/notecard index like Ryan Holiday and Robert Greene.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I grew up reading classic fantasy books like the lord of the rings and Chronicles of Narnia, along with Dragonlance authors like Richard A Knaak and Forgotten Realms authors like R.A. Salvatore
Once I started writing books I found John Green, whose book Looking for Alaska has become somewhat of an annual NaNoWriMo tradition to read during the month of November.
What are you working on now?
The third book in the Moving Lives trilogy. I also have a five-part steampunk adventure series that is almost done the first draft. Haven’t settled on a name yet but the covers are in the background of my website.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Honestly, I’ve seen the best response through Instagram. I don’t have a big following but the fans are really great.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
It can feel really discouraging to get your first book on amazon and sell nothing. Especially for indies like me. Just remember, the best thing to help sell your first book is the next book. Keep writing, every word, paragraph and page makes you better.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“The impediment to actions advances Action, what stands in the way becomes the way”.
It’s a quote from stoic philosopher and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. It’s helped keep me grounded and focused on my craft through a lot of rough patches, 2020 notwithstanding.
What are you reading now?
I just finished E. Lockhart’s “We Were Liars”, which was devastating, but I am 3 chapters into Christopher Paolini’s “To Sleep in a Sea of Stars”.
Funny story about Paolini, my three kids were all born while reading the last three books of his Inheritance Cycle. I had seen the movie of the first book which is, of course, nothing like the first book and thought why not when I saw the second and needed a book before joining my wife at the hospital when our first child was born, it became a weird coincidence/tradition after that.
We often joke it took us having our last child for Chris to finally release Inheritance the fourth book.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m really looking forward to finishing the “Moving Lives” series and starting a new project. I have a bunch of ideas in various stages of completion and love to start new things.
But I have to finish this series, it’s been waaaaay too long in the making.
What is your favorite book of all time?
It’s a toss-up between Looking for Alaska by John Green and an old adventure book called Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Richard A Knaak’s “War of the Ancients” trilogy gets an honourable mention as well.
Author Websites and Profiles
R. G. Michaels Website
R. G. Michaels Amazon Profile
R. G. Michaels’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account